Method for enabling the cutting to size of a continuously extruded weather strip with variable characteristics, particularly for motor vehicle bodies

Abstract

A method for enabling the cutting to size of a continuous extruded weather strip including an anchoring profile provided with internal longitudinal retaining ribs and a tubular sealing profile co-extruded with the retaining profile and having variable characteristics. In order to cut the weather strip in predetermined zones related to the variations in the characteristics of the weather strip during extrusion, at least one of the internal longitudinal ribs is at least partially omitted in sections spaced from each other according to the length of the pieces of extrusion to be cut to size, and the omitted sections are detected to provide corresponding signals to enable cutting.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for enabling the cutting to size of a continuously extruded weather strip intended particularly for fitting to an edge of an aperture or closure element of a motor vehicle body, comprising a U-sectioned retaining profile of elastomeric material provided with internal longitudinal ribs for retaining the weather strip on the edge, and a tubular sealing profile also of elastomeric material and co-extruded with the retaining profile, in which the tubular profile and/or the anchoring profile have variable characteristics and in which the cutting must be carried out in correspondence with predetermined zones related to the variations in the characteristics of the weather strip, the method consisting of at least partial omission, during extrusion of the weather strip, of at least one of the internal longitudinal retaining rib in sections which can be related to predetermined cutting zones, detection of the omitted sections and provision of corresponding signals to enable cutting. 
     
     
       2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the omitted sections are detected by means of an optical transducer.